Today in Soap Opera History (November 28)

1979: Brian and Paige were married on The Edge of Night.
1983: Kim Zimmer debuted as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light.
1995: General Hospital's Sonny said goodbye to Stone.
1996: GH's Edward had a Thanksgiving nightmare.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1966: On Dark Shadows, Matthew (Thayer David) had just begun to strangle Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) when Liz (Joan Bennett) burst into the cottage.

1975: The final CBS episode of The Edge of Night aired. The network also aired the last half-hour episode of As the World Turns, which expanded to an hour the following Monday. The Edge of Night moved to ABC on Monday with a 90-minute premiere. The second half hour of ATWT would not maintain the ratings of the first half hour and eventually the show dropped from the top of the Nielsen ratings.

1979: On As the World Turns, when Bennett (Doug Higgins) and Lisa (Eileen Fulton) returned to The Willows, they found Hester (Ann Stanchfield) passed out on the floor.

1983: On General Hospital, Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) arrived back at the Mayor's mansion and is instantly filled with thoughts of his wife, Laura (Genie Francis). As Laura strolled around the back yard, an unknowing Luke went inside the mansion and headed to his room to have one last glass of champagne. He walked out onto the balcony outside his room, once again filled with memories of dancing with Laura on their wedding day. As he poured himself more champagne, he saw Laura from the back as she walks across the yard. He ran downstairs just as Laura caught a glimpse of Stavros' henchman staring at her from across the yard. Luke ran out to the yard and screamed Laura's name. She paused, and then ran into Luke's arms, as Luke cried and held her tight.

2003: Actor Terry Lester died at age 53. His soap roles included Jack Abbott on The Young and the Restless, Mason Capwell in Santa Barbara, and Royce Keller on As the World Turns.

"Terry had an edge, where he could play Jack as a heavy and get away with it," his Y&R onscreen father, Jerry Douglas (John Abbott), said at the time of his death. "You just loved to hate him. He had the best role on the show. [Lester's replacement] Peter [Bergman] has done a phenomenal job with the role, but his Jack is a different Jack."

Said Jeanne Cooper (Katherine Chancellor) in 2003: "I had become such good friends with Terry while he was on the show, and I spoke with his sister after I heard the news. He was a very talented actor, but his true genius was in music. He played wonderful piano and he sang. I think that was what he always wanted to do."

2005: On All My Children, Greenlee's bombshell that Kendall used her own fertilized egg to get impregnated with Ryan's child shocked everyone at Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

2006: Adrienne Frantz crossed the character of Amber Moore over from The Bold and the Beautiful to The Young and the Restless.

2007: Actress Jeanne Bates died at age 89. She played two different roles on Days of our Lives: Jean Perkins (1967-1968) and Anne Peters (1972-1975).